LIVE Updates | Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow claims it has completed 'liberation' of Soledar, Kyiv denies

After its claim of Soledar liberation, Russia defence ministry credited the town's capture to Russian troops and aviation without mentioning the role of the Wagner mercenary group founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin. 

Prigozhin issued a premature claim earlier this week that Soledar had already fallen, and said the fighting there was exclusively being waged by his men. 

But in comments issued through his press service on Friday Prigozhin complained about "infighting, corruption, bureaucracy and officials who want to stay in their positions" and what he called constant attempts to "steal victory" from Wagner. 

In response, Russia's defence ministry late on Friday issued a second statement seeking "to clarify" the situation and acknowledging the role of the Wagner Group fighters in Soledar. 

"As for the direct storming of Soledar's city quarters occupied by the armed forces of Ukraine, this combat task was successfully accomplished by the courageous and selfless actions of volunteers from the Wagner assault detachments," it said.

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Zelensky on Friday said Ukraine was "heading towards victory" and said 2023 was a "decisive" year. He thanked all the countries that had been helping Ukraine while speaking via video to lawmakers in the Lithuanian parliament. He also said that more needed to be done. 

He said, "We need pressing decisions of the whole anti-war coalition. New defence decisions which will allow Ukrainian soldiers to repel Russian army from our land. It concerns most of all modern tanks, effective artillery. We need new decisions on sanctions which will support constant and overpowering pressure on aggressor state and on all the economic subjects that provide for the continuation of the aggression." 

Russian troops claimed that they taken control of Soledar after weeks of intense fighting, Russia’s defence ministry says. 

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Kyiv has denied that Russia is in control of the eastern Ukrainian town of Soledar. Ukraine said that heavy fighting is ongoing. 

This map demonstrates the current situation: 

Soledar, known for being the largest salt mine in Europe, has now become the epicentre of fighting. Its 200 kilometres of underground tunnels have given a tactical advantage to the troops. 

The town of Soledar is crucial in the ongoing war as it is just 15 kilometres from Bakhmut, which is a key prize for Russian troops and key to Moscow's main goal of wresting all of Donetsk. 

Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, who is the Russian Defence Ministry's spokesman, said: "The liberation of the town of Soledar was completed in the evening of January 12." 

Konashenkov added that the development was important for the continuation of offensive operations in the Donetsk region. 

Konashenkov further said that taking control of Soledar would allow Russian forces to cut supply lines for the Ukrainian forces in the Donestsk city of Bakhmut and then block and encircle the Ukrainian units there. 

Here are some satellite images that show how the ongoing war changed Ukraine. 

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Russia said Friday it had taken control of Soledar, a town in eastern Ukraine that has been a hotspot of fighting in Moscow's offensive. 

The defence ministry said that "on the evening of January 12, the liberation of the city of Soledar was completed, which is important for the continuation of successful offensive operations" in Donetsk. It referred to a region in eastern Ukraine that Moscow is seeking to capture fully. 

There was no immediate confirmation from Ukrainian authorities of Russia's claim.